Coalition helping residents in tollway battle

The Citizens' Transportation Coalition is a group that is working with neighborhoods, all over Houston, to help them speak out about toll-funded projects that could potentially affect their areas.

The coalition advocates a "broad-based public educational and planning process to identify neighborhood aspirations and the best transportation options to achieve them."

The coalition is working with United to Save Our Spring about the Grand

Parkway F2 segment (from Highway 249 to Interstate 45).

According to Polly Ledvina, co-chair of the coalition, Spring residents really have it tough because they don't have a city council or other immediate local representation.

"They don't have anyone to turn to," said Ledvina.

David Mifflin with United to Save Our Spring, said they starting meeting with the coalition in January.

"The coalition has been very helpful to us," said Mifflin.

The organization is very active in working on behalf of citizens and has been contacting city council members and state representatives, according to Mifflin.

Currently, United to Save our Spring is concerned with the recent Harris County Commissioner's Court ruling that allowed the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT) to turn over control of part of the Grand Parkway project, including the F2 segment, to the Harris County Toll Road Authority.

The Spring residents are wary of the fact that, unlike TxDoT, the toll authority is not required to hold public meetings.

"It looks like TxDoT has found a way to circumvent their restraints," said Mifflin.

Right now, the coalition is sponsoring a referendum that would give citizens the right to vote about whether or not a toll road can come into their areas, and United to Save our Spring members are backing this referendum.

Since the toll road authority does not have to hold public meetings, the coalition wants some type of accountability.

"We're asking for general accountability from the toll road," said Ledvina.